nursing homes

Bernie Sanders, a feisty Independent from Vermont who often votes with his Democratic colleagues, scored a modest – if largely symbolic – victory for older Americans as the Senate pulled an all-nighter last Friday to debate and vote on budget amendments. Sanders, who chairs the Senate subcommittee that deals with aging-related issues, sponsored an amendment to the budget resolution backing the Older Americans Act that was approved by unanimous consent. The landmark law, originally enacted in 1965, supports Meals on Wheels …

By Jenni Bergal for Kaiser Health News This story was produced in collaboration with USA Today. The 2.3 million elderly or disabled people living in nursing homes or assisted living centers might not know it, but they’ve got an advocate – someone who’s supposed to be looking out for their health, safety and rights. In 2011, state long-term care ombudsmen – assisted by hundreds of local ombudsmen programs and thousands of volunteers – responded to 204,000 complaints nationwide. They ranged …

A new study out of Brown University offers food for thought. It shows that one way to keep people out of nursing homes – so they can age in place, at home – is for states to offer more home-delivered meals. The report revealed that states that invest the most in home-based meals, like Meals On Wheels, have fewer nursing home admissions for “low-care” residents. Low-care means a person lives in a nursing home yet doesn’t require many of the services offered. …

By Jenni Bergal, Kaiser Health News At a time when the nursing home industry is lobbying Congress to avoid cuts in Medicare payments, a federal watchdog agency is reporting that taxpayers overpaid nursing homes $1.5 billion. The study released this week by the inspector general’s office of the Department of Health and Human Services concluded that nursing homes billed about a quarter of claims incorrectly in 2009 – the year it studied. Most of those claims were “upcoded,” which means …

It’s hard to find a more stunning statistic: Nearly 45 percent of hospitalizations among nursing home residents enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid are avoidable. Because of their complex and chronic health care needs, annual spending for their care is more than $300 billion. The total 2011 costs for avoidable hospitalizations for this group are $7 billion to $8 billion. Now the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has a plan to stanch the hemorrhaging of money and unnecessary hospital …

Anyone who has or may someday have family in a nursing home, take note: A mandatory arbitration agreement is probably not in your loved one’s best interest. Though such agreements are becoming increasingly common at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, there’s good reason for family members of residents not to sign.